A contribution to the amoeboid locomotion of mobile robots

The paper deals with amoeboid locomotion from the mechanical point of view. This original kind of locomotion, realized by protozoa, is of great interest for engineers. It offers the possibility to combine the function of locomotion and manipulation for systems operating in difficult terrains. In this contribution the constructive characteristics and basic properties of the two mobile systems, based on compliant elements, are considered. The theoretical investigations are focused on the description of the dynamic system behaviour by transient analysis. The characteristics of the prototypes obtained by theoretical investigations using Finite-Element-Method and Multibody Systems Dynamics, are compared with experimental results.